The Sights of Sydney – Queen Victoria Building and Darling Harbour

After catching a bit of sport at the soccer match, I spent the following day around the Darling Harbor area of Sydney.

The first stop was the Queen Victoria Building which I ran into almost as soon as I got off the train.

Normally a shopping mall wouldn't be a must-see for me, however, the exterior design drew me in and I found the interior to be even cooler with its mosaic floors.

I grabbed a cup of cappuccino and watched well-dressed women with designer bags walk past ridiculously expensive stores.

After the mall, I headed to the harbor. The overcast skies soon rained down on me.

I decided to skip the tourist activities requiring money – the aquarium, the world's largest IMAX theater, etc.

There were orange flags throughout the downtown area as Australia Day was quickly approaching.

It's a national holiday to celebrate the founding of Australia by Europeans and seems to be akin to America's July 4th.

Basically, it's an excuse to have a BBQ, beer, and a 3-day weekend.

I finished my afternoon's stroll with a walk through Chinatown.

Paddy's Markets were closed, and I wouldn't make it back to them. It's an Irish-themed street market with lots of cheap goods.

After 24 hours in Sydney, I started to feel like I could be in the United States. It felt comfortable.

The transit system was extensive, yet the information was well communicated.

I was impressed by the LCD screens in the train stops which seemed light years ahead of the LED displays we just recently got in Washington, DC.

In the evening, I went out with some people from my hostel to Scubar. 

Our hostel had an entertainment guide whose job it was to take backpackers out to a different bar each night with the promise of a free drink. 

I think it's a way to welcome all the foreigners who come to Sydney and Australia with the intention to stick around and work. 

Scubar was a basement bar frequented by backpackers, and it was a mess of drunken people. 

Somehow I managed to enjoy it for a few beers before heading back to home base – King's Cross.

Dave Lee

Dave is the Founder and Editor in Chief of Go Backpacking and Feastio. He’s been to 66 countries and lived in Colombia and Peru. Read the full story of how he became a travel blogger.